Vehicle light control system

ABSTRACT

A combined switch device of dimmer and flasher comprising a first, second and third movable conductive elements arranged horizontally or vertically in parallel with and at a spacing from each other, all of said movable conductive elements serving as a dimmer switch as well as a flash switch in association with an operating member movable upwardly or downwardly from its neutral position, and having as a whole a comparatively flatter shape.

United States Patent Inventors Masaru Suzuki Hekikalgun; TatsusliiKubota, Gifu, both 01, Japan Appl. No. 819,363 Filed Apr. 25, I969Patented Sept. 14, 1971 Assignee Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika DenkiSeisalmsho Nisliibiwajlma-cho, Nishikasugai, Aichi, Japan Priority Apr.29, 1968 Japan 43/35024 VEHICLE LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM 6 Claims, 7 DrawingFigs. US. Cl 315/83, 200/1 R, 200/6 C, ZOO/61.27, ZOO/61.54, 307/10,315/322 Int. Cl. B60q l/46, HOlh 21/18 Field of Search 315/83,

322; 200]! A, l TK, 4, 5, 6, 15,151.27, 61.54, 153.7, 153.8, 153.9, 164A; 340/81; 307/10 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,229,9811/1941 Mann 200/6 2,485,818 10/1949 Dorjee 200/1 X 2,605,338 7/1952Miller et al. 200/6 X 2,796,483 6/1957 Wols ZOO/61.54 2,869,033 l/ l 959Cheresko 315/83 3,135,893 6/1964 Fetzer et al. 315/83 3,139,555 6/1964Paule et al. 315/82 3,325,681 6/1967 Swensen 315/83 Primary Examiner-RoyLake Assistant Examiner-E. R. La Roche Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard andFlynn ABSTRACT: A combined switch device of dimmer and flashercomprising a first, second and third movable conductive elementsarranged horizontally or vertically in parallel with and at a spacingfrom each other, all of said movable conductive elements serving as adimmer switch as well as a flash switch in association with an operatingmember movable upwardly or downwardly from its neutral position, andhaving as a whole a comparatively flatter shape.

PATENTED SEPl 41971 SHEET 2 OF 2 VEHICLE LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM Thepresent invention relates to a combined or composite switch deviceincluding a dimmer switch which conducts energization or deenergizationof main headlights and subheadlights of an automobile, and a flasherswitch which energizes or deenergizes main headlights, in the daytime aswell as in the nighttime, to provide flash signals when a car passesanother car ahead.

The primal object of the present invention is to provide a combined orcomposite switch device which can be accommodated within the extremelynarrow space such as a winker switch box, and assure expected switchoperations precisely.

In the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view of FIG. 2, partly cut shown;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory side elevational view taken along the lineII-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a substantial part;

FIGS. 4 through 6 are illustrations showing an operative relation amongrespective movable contacts; and

FIG. 7 is a connection diagram.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, numeral 1 is a winker switch boxwhich has a bottom wall 2 provided with a bracket 3 for controlling awinker switch, through which an annular shaft 4 passes rotatably. Alever extends outwardly of the winker switch box from the bracket 3 andis carried movably vertically by a transverse shaft 6. The bracket 3has, at its end wall corresponding to an inner end of the lever 5, andupper dent and under dent 7, and a downwardly extending plane 8contiguous to the under dent, with either of which a ball bearing 9fitted at the inner end of said lever 5 is pushed into contact by aspring. Numeral 10 is a sliding member, which is idly fitted through theannular shaft 4 to extend downwardly with an upper end contacted with anundersurface of the inner part of the lever 5, and has a spring 11attached thereto.

Numeral 12 is an insulating mount piece, to an underside of whichbelow-mentioned movable conductive elements or pieces are fixed throughseveral pieces of insulating spacers l3 piled one upon other. Themovable resilient conductive element or piece 14 is connected withsubheadlights, the movable resilient conductive element or piece isconnected with a potential source B, through a switch S for light Hs andHm and the movable conductive element or piece 16 is connected with thepotential source B. Each of these elements has one end inserted betweenseparate spacers 13 in such manner that a pair of movable conductiveelements or pieces 14 and 15 are spaced vertically, and another movableconductive element or piece 16 is arranged between said pair of movableconductive elements 14 and 15 and horizontally in parallel relationtherewith. Numeral 18 is a dummy contact, which is placed between freeends of said pair of movable conductive elements l4 and 15, and throughwhich a movable contact 14a of conductive element 14 is maintainednormally in contact with a movable contact 15a of conductive element 15.Numeral 17 is a conductive element or piece of an inverted L-shape,which is connected with main headlights Hm and fixed to the underside ofinsulating mount plate 12. Said conductive element 17 has a fixedcontact 174 at one end confronting with an upper face of said movablecontact 15a and a fixed contact 17b at other end confronting with anunder face of movable contact 16a. Numeral I9 is an operating memberwith a linear shape extending radially of the sliding member 10 to passthrough an under portion thereof. The movable conductive elements withone end of each element inserted between different spacers 13 areattached to the insulating mount plate 12 mounted to the undersurface ofbottom wall 2 of the winker switch box in a manner of permitting thesliding member 10 to pass through a central portion of the mount plate12 and further to extend its under end through a space between a pair ofmovable conductive elements 14, 15 and another movable conductiveelement 16 arranged in horizontally parallel relationship with said pairof elements, so as to locate the operating member I9 transversely of andupon the movable conductive elements 14 and I6.

The sliding member 10 is permitted a vertically sliding motion to causea movement of movable conductive elements according to the movement ofthe lever 5. In detail, if the lever stands at the neutral position asshown in the solid line in FIG. 2, the sliding member 10 is maintainedat the neutral position to retain the linear operating member 19 out ofcontact with any of movable conductive elements; if the lever 5 is moveddownwardly to a position 5a from the neutral position, the slidingmember 10 is moved upwardly to push the movable conductive element 15upwardly; and if the lever 5 is moved upwardly to a position 5b thesliding member 10 is slid downwardly to press the movable conductiveelements 14 and 16 downwardly.

FIG. 7 shows a connection diagram of a composite or combined switch ofthe present invention.

Operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

When the operating member 19 is maintained in the neutral position, andthe switch S for headlights is turned to the ON position, the electriccircuit of subheadlights Hs is closed by the movable contacts 14a and15a normally in closed relation with one another, thereby energizing thesubheadlights (see FIG. 4). When the operating member 19 is movedupwardly, due to swinging movement of lever 5 into position, the movableconductive element 15 is moved upwardly to bring the movable contact 15ainto contact with the fixed contact 17a (FIG. 5), so that the electriccircuit of main headlights Hm is closed, thereby energizing the mainheadlights Hm (see FIG. 5) and deenergizing the subheadlights Hs. Theswitchover operation of movable contacts as described constitutes adimmer switch section.

When the lever 5 is pushed into position 5b, the operating member I9 ismoved downwardly to push the movable conductive elements 14 and 16downwardly so that the movable contact 14a is released Hm. the movablecontact 15a and at the same time, the movable contact 16a is broughtinto contact with the fixed contact 17b, (FIG. 6) thereby making aclosed circuit with main headlights Hm to energize the same (FIG. 6). Atthis time, the lever 5 is manually retained in the upwardly movedposition Sb, and resultantly the ball bearing 9 is slid downwardly alongthe downwardly extending plane 8 of the bracket 3. As soon as the leverS is released, the ball bearing 9 is pushed automatically back to theneutral position by action of the spring 11, so that the operatingmeinber I9 is returned to the initial neutral position, therebydeenergizing the main headlights Hm. the It is obvious that repetitivelymoving the operating member 19 from its lowermost position (FIG. 6) tothe initial neutral position (FIG. 4) and t0 the lowermost position willcause an incessant energization and deenergization of the mainheadlights Hm, thereby providing flash signals when the driver wants topass another car ahead. In this case, if the switch S for the headlightsis maintained in the closed position, the subheadlights Hs are energizedor deenergized exactly opposite in relation to deenergization orenergization of main headlights Hm. This constitutes a flash switchsection.

The present invention having such construction as described hereinabove,can attain the object to provide a combined or composite switch deviceconsisting of a dimmer switch energizing or deenergizing thesubheadlights in the nighttime, and a flash switch connecting the mainheadlights directly with the potential source, and effecting a continualconnection or disconnection of its movable contacts to causeenergization or deenergization of the main headlights Hm both in thedaytime and in the nighttime. The combined or composite switch of thepresent invention has such advantages that due to compact arrangement ofrespective elements including a pair of movable conductive pieces orelements 14 and I5 spaced vertically from each other and anotherconductive piece or element 16 arranged in horizontally parallelrelation with said pair of conductive elements 14, 15, the fixed contact17a arranged above the movable conductive element and in confrontingwith the movable contact 15a thereof, the fixed contact 17b arrangedabove the movable conductive element 16 and in confronting with themovable contact 16a thereof, and the operating member movable verticallyand located above the movable conductive elements 14 and 16, the entireheight of the combined switch is reduced to be flattened so that theswitch device can be accommodated within the narrower flat winker switchbox, and such compact arrangement of respective elements permits theswitch device to be operated precisely by moving the lever vertically inthree positions.

What is claimed is: 1. A vehicle light control system, comprising: apotential source; first circuitry means having first light meansassociated therewith and a first resilient and movable conductiveelement connected in series with said first light means, said firstconductive element having a first contact thereon; second circuitrymeans connected to said potential source and including a switchconnected in series with a second resilient and movable conductiveelement, said second conductive element having a second contact thereon,said first and second conductive elements being normally resilientlyurged toward a closed position wherein said first and second contactsare normally maintained in conductive relationship whereby said firstlight means is energized whenever such switch is closed; third circuitrymeans connected to said potential source in parallelrelation to saidsecond circuitry means and including a third resilient and movableconductive element disposed adjacent but spaced from said first andsecond conductive elements, said third conductive element having a thirdcontact thereon normally maintained in an open position; fourthcircuitry means adapted to be selectively interconnected to either saidsecond circuitry means or said third circuitry means, said fourthcircuitry means including second light means connected in series withfixed contact means, said fixed contact means being adapted to beengaged with either said second contact or said third contact; actuatingmeans for permitting said fourth circuitry means to be selectivelyconnected in series with either said second circuitry means or saidthird circuitry means, said actuating means including an operatingmember disposed for engagement with said first, second and thirdconductive elements, said operating member being normally maintained ina neutral position wherein said first and second conductive elements aremaintained in said closed position and said third conductive element ismaintained out of engagement with said fixed contact means; saidactuating means and said operating member being movable from saidneutral position into first and second positions disposed on oppositesides of said neutral position, movement of said operating member tosaid first position causing said second conductive element to be movedaway from said closed position and said second contact to be broughtinto engagement with said fixed contact means for causing energizationof said second light means whenever said switch is closed, and movementof said operating member to said second position causing movement ofboth said first and third conductive elements whereby said first contactis moved away from said closed position to deenergize said firstcircuitry means and said third contact is moved into engagement withsaid fixed contact means for causing energization of said second lightmeans; resilient means coacting with said actuating means forresiliently urging said operating member toward said neutral positionwhenever said operating member is moved to said second position, wherebysaid operating member is automatically returned to said neutral positionfrom said second position whenever the external actuating force isreleased; and

means coacting with said actuating means for permitting said operatingmember to be releasably maintained in either said neutral position orsaid first position.

2. A switch assembly, comprising;

a first resilient and movable conductive element having a first contactthereon;

a second resilient and movable conductive element spaced from andsubstantially parallel with said first conductive element and having asecond contact thereon, said first and second conductive elements beingnormally resiliently urged toward a closed position wherein said firstand second contacts are maintained in conductive relationship;

a third resilient and movable conductive element spaced from andsubstantially parallel with said first and second conductive elements,said second and third conductive elements being laterally spaced fromsaid first conductive element in substantially transverse directions,and said third conductive element having a third contact thereon;

a fixed conductive element having a fourth contact disposed forengagement with said second contact when said second conductive elementis moved away from said closed position, and said fixed conductiveelement having a fifth contact disposed for engagement with said thirdcontact, said third contact being normally maintained out of engagementwith said fifth contact;

actuating means for causing selected movement of at least one of saidmovable conductive elements, said actuating means including an operatingmember disposed in the space between said movable conductive elementsand normally maintained in a neutral position wherein said first andsecond conductive elements are maintained in said closed position andsaid third conductive element is maintained out of engagement with saidfifth contact;

said actuating means and said operating member being movable from saidneutral position into first and second positions disposed on oppositesides of said neutral position, movement of said operating member tosaid first position causing said second conductive element to be movedaway from said closed position and said second contact to be broughtinto engagement with said fourth contact, and movement of said operatingmember to said second position causing movement of both said first andthird conductive elements whereby said first contact is moved away fromsaid closed position and said third contact is moved into engagementwith said fifth contact;

resilient means coacting with said actuating means for resilientlyurging said operating member toward said neutral position whenever saidoperating member is moved to said second position, whereby saidoperating member is automatically returned to said neutral position fromsaid second position whenever the external actuating force is released;and

detent means coacting with said actuating means for permitting saidactuating means and said operating member to be releasably maintained ineither said neutral position or said first position.

3. A switch assembly according to claim 2, including a sixth dummycontact disposed between and for engagement with said first and secondcontacts when said first and second conductive elements are in saidclosed position.

4. A switch assembly according to claim 2, wherein said actuating meansincludes a manually swingable lever and a slide member disposed adjacentand normally maintained in engagement with said lever by said resilientmeans, said slide member being mounted for slidable movement in adirection substantially parallel with the direction of movement of saidmovable conductive elements, and said operating member being fixedlysecured to said slide member for simultaneous movement therewith.

said movable conductive element comprises an elongated leaflikeresilient element having a contact portion thereon.

1. A vehicle light control system, comprising: a potential source; first circuitry means having first light means associated therewith and a first resilient and movable conductive element connected in series with said first light means, said first conductive element having a first contact thereon; second circuitry means connected to said potential source and including a switch connected in series with a second resilient and movable conductive element, said second conductive element having a second contact thereon, said first and second conductive elements being normally resiliently urged toward a closed position wherein said first and second contacts are normally maintained in conductive relationship whereby said first light means is energized whenever such switch is closed; third circuitry means connected to said potential source in parallel relation to said second circuitry means and including a third resilient and movable conductive element disposed adjacent but spaced from said first and second conductive elements, said third conductive element having a third contact thereon normally maintained in an open position; fourth circuitry means adapted to be selectively interconnected to either said second circuitry means or said third circuitry means, said fourth circuitry means including second light means connected in series with fixed contact means, said fixed contact means being adapted to be engagEd with either said second contact or said third contact; actuating means for permitting said fourth circuitry means to be selectively connected in series with either said second circuitry means or said third circuitry means, said actuating means including an operating member disposed for engagement with said first, second and third conductive elements, said operating member being normally maintained in a neutral position wherein said first and second conductive elements are maintained in said closed position and said third conductive element is maintained out of engagement with said fixed contact means; said actuating means and said operating member being movable from said neutral position into first and second positions disposed on opposite sides of said neutral position, movement of said operating member to said first position causing said second conductive element to be moved away from said closed position and said second contact to be brought into engagement with said fixed contact means for causing energization of said second light means whenever said switch is closed, and movement of said operating member to said second position causing movement of both said first and third conductive elements whereby said first contact is moved away from said closed position to deenergize said first circuitry means and said third contact is moved into engagement with said fixed contact means for causing energization of said second light means; resilient means coacting with said actuating means for resiliently urging said operating member toward said neutral position whenever said operating member is moved to said second position, whereby said operating member is automatically returned to said neutral position from said second position whenever the external actuating force is released; and means coacting with said actuating means for permitting said operating member to be releasably maintained in either said neutral position or said first position.
 2. A switch assembly, comprising; a first resilient and movable conductive element having a first contact thereon; a second resilient and movable conductive element spaced from and substantially parallel with said first conductive element and having a second contact thereon, said first and second conductive elements being normally resiliently urged toward a closed position wherein said first and second contacts are maintained in conductive relationship; a third resilient and movable conductive element spaced from and substantially parallel with said first and second conductive elements, said second and third conductive elements being laterally spaced from said first conductive element in substantially transverse directions, and said third conductive element having a third contact thereon; a fixed conductive element having a fourth contact disposed for engagement with said second contact when said second conductive element is moved away from said closed position, and said fixed conductive element having a fifth contact disposed for engagement with said third contact, said third contact being normally maintained out of engagement with said fifth contact; actuating means for causing selected movement of at least one of said movable conductive elements, said actuating means including an operating member disposed in the space between said movable conductive elements and normally maintained in a neutral position wherein said first and second conductive elements are maintained in said closed position and said third conductive element is maintained out of engagement with said fifth contact; said actuating means and said operating member being movable from said neutral position into first and second positions disposed on opposite sides of said neutral position, movement of said operating member to said first position causing said second conductive element to be moved away from said closed position and said second contact to be brought into engagement with said fourth contact, and movement of said operating member to said second position causing movement of both said first and third conductive elements whereby said first contact is moved away from said closed position and said third contact is moved into engagement with said fifth contact; resilient means coacting with said actuating means for resiliently urging said operating member toward said neutral position whenever said operating member is moved to said second position, whereby said operating member is automatically returned to said neutral position from said second position whenever the external actuating force is released; and detent means coacting with said actuating means for permitting said actuating means and said operating member to be releasably maintained in either said neutral position or said first position.
 3. A switch assembly according to claim 2, including a sixth dummy contact disposed between and for engagement with said first and second contacts when said first and second conductive elements are in said closed position.
 4. A switch assembly according to claim 2, wherein said actuating means includes a manually swingable lever and a slide member disposed adjacent and normally maintained in engagement with said lever by said resilient means, said slide member being mounted for slidable movement in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of movement of said movable conductive elements, and said operating member being fixedly secured to said slide member for simultaneous movement therewith.
 5. A switch assembly according to claim 4, wherein said detent means coacts directly with said lever.
 6. A switch assembly according to claim 2, wherein each said movable conductive element comprises an elongated leaflike resilient element having a contact portion thereon. 